Thomas



(No Model.)

v T. O. JOHNSON.

TEMPORARY CARTRIDGE HOLDER.

No. 575,650. Patented Jan. 19,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TEM PORARY CARTRIDGE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,650, dated January 19, 1897.

Application filed $eptember 23, 1896- Serial No- 607,l38. (No modelfl To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAs C. JOHNSON, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented anew Improvement in Temporary Cartridge-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a view in side elevation of a temporary cartridge -holder constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a front view thereof; Fig. 3, a rear view thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in temporary cartridge-holders, the object being to produce at a very low cost for manufacture a simple and convenient device constructed with particular reference to simplicity of construction and convenience of manipulation and to having the clip fed or run out of it by the action of gravity.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in a temporary cartridge -holder provided at its open lower end with one or more yieldinglongitudinal cartridge-retaining ribs and one or more locating-flanges and with a deflecting projection located at its forward end for engagement by the front ends of the bullets, whereby the head ends of the cartridges are caused to issue from the holder in advance of their bullet ends as they are run out of the holder by the action of gravity.

My invention further consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

' In carrying out my invention, as herein shown, my improved cartridge-holder tapers in width and thickness from its rear to its forward end. It may be formed of one or more pieces of sheet metal, as found most convenient. Preferably it will be formed of a light weight of tin-plate. As shown, it has straight sides A A and an arched or crowning top 13. Its rear end is closed by a flat wall C and its forward end by a flat wall D. The lower edges of its sides are extended to form longitudinal cartridge retaining ribs E E and divergin g locating-flanges F F. As shown, both of the said ribs are yielding to enlarge or contract the opening G at the bottom of the holder. The said ribs, as shown, have the form of corrugations, but, if desired, they may be made independent of the holder and applied to the inner faces of the side walls thereof. In order to permit the ribs to yield, the side walls of the holder are vertically slit at their rear ends, as at H, which permits both of the ribs to yield, but that is not necessary, although desirable. The front wall D of the holder is formed at its lower end with an inwardlyturned deflecting finger or projection I, with which the front ends of the bullets of the cartridges are engaged as the cartridges issue from the holder, whereby the bullet ends of the cartridges are retarded and their head ends caused to issue from the holder in advance of their bullet ends. The head ends of the cartridges therefore enter the magazine of the firearm first. Fouling is thus avoided, for if the bullet ends of the cartridges should enter the magazine first the cartidges would be liable to foul.

In using my improved holders they are charged with a fixed number (say five) of cartridges. They are then packed for transportation in boxes and ultimately find their way into the belt of the user, from which they are withdrawn one by one and applied to the arm, on which they are properly located by means of the locating-flanges. Any holder so withdrawn is then pressed against the arm, whereby the locating-flanges cause the lower edges of its side walls to be sprung and the cartridge-retaining ribs sufficiently spread apart to permit the cartridges to run out by gravity into the magazine from the holder, the bullet ends of the cartridges being deflected by the deflecting-finger of the holder, so that their head ends enter the magazine first, whereby fouling is avoided, as above stated. After this the holder will probably be thrown away, although it may be used over and over again under circumstances making it desirable to do so. I

In view of the changes herein suggested, and of others which may obviously be made, I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes-and alterations asfairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is V 1. Atemporarycartridge-holder, having'its open bottom provided with one or more yielding longitudinal cartridge-retaining ribs, and one or more locating-flanges, and furnished at its lower portion of its forward end with an inwardly-projecting deflecting projection which retards the bullet ends of the cartridges and causes their head ends to issue from the holder in advance of their bullet ends.

2; A temporary cartridge-holder formed of sheet metal, having its top and rear and front ends closed, and furnishedat its open lower end with two yielding cartridge retaining ribs, and two diverging" locating-flanges eX- tending below the said ribs and provided at the lower end of its front wall with an inwardly-extending deflecting-finger which retards the bullet ends of the cartridges, and causes their head ends to issue from the holder in advance of their bullet ends.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

r THOMAS C. JOHNSON. Witnesses: V

DANIEL H. VEADER, W. S. BALDWIN. 

